Introducing Sociology Using the Stuff of Everyday Life

Second Edition

Home › Students › Chapter 9 – Smartphones

Chapter 9 – Smartphones

Chapter Summary

In this chapter, we shed light on the tension between group connection and separation by examining a ubiquitous technological device: the phone. Understanding this tension—between group solidarity and social isolation—is central to the modern sociological project. A case study of the phone allows us to examine how sociologists study feelings of togetherness, drawing upon concepts of social capital, social networks and homophily. Phones can be used to create virtual communities, allowing consumers to become prosumers that create their own culture and sometimes mobilize to demand social change. On the other hand, more critical voices suggest that the constant connectivity made possible through our phones can paradoxically produce social isolation, while distracting us from engaging with important social and personal issues. A sociological perspective leads us to question whether alarm about smartphone usage can be classified as a moral panic that exaggerates the threat they pose to society. While technological devices like cell phones are clearly an important part of our everyday lives, sociologists caution against technological determinist arguments that overemphasize the power of technology to drive social change and tend to produce overly optimistic or pessimistic conclusions.

Further Reading

Miller, Daniel, Laila Abed Rabho, Patrick Awondo, Maya de Vries, Marília Duque, Pauline Garvey, Laura Haapio-Kirk, et al. 2021. The Global Smartphone: Beyond a Youth Technology, Chapter 7, “The Heart of the Smartphone: LINE, WeChat and WhatsApp.” UCL Press.

This chapter examines how LINE, WeChat, and WhatsApp have become central to smartphone use, acting as the “heart” of social connection by sustaining family bonds, group solidarity, and care across distances. Through what the authors term “scalable sociality,” these apps facilitate communication on a scale ranging from highly private, intimate exchanges to broad, public interactions. They illustrate a shift toward multifunctional “super apps,” integrating diverse social, cultural, and economic activities within one digital platform. As these apps increasingly dominate daily life, they not only reshape interpersonal relationships but also consolidate corporate influence in personal communication spaces.

Discussion questions
  • How do users use messaging apps like LINE, WeChat, and WhatsApp to express emotions and sustain meaningful connections? In what ways do users in different regions modify or “localize” their use of these apps according to cultural norms and practices?
  • How does the concept of “scalable sociality” challenge the traditional distinction between private and public communication?
  • How does the integration of multiple services within apps like WeChat (Tencent) and WhatsApp (Meta) increase corporate influence over users’ personal lives? What are the sociological implications of this dependence on a single platform for communication and daily tasks?
  • What do these findings contribute to the debate surrounding social connection and isolation in the context of smartphone use?

Walsh, James, and Dallas Hill. 2023. “Social Media, Migration and the Platformization of

Moral Panic: Evidence from Canada.” Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 29(3):690–712.

This article examines the ways that moral panics take shape on social media. Using the case of anti-migration discourse during Canada’s 2019 election, the authors introduce the concept of “platformed panics.” Unlike traditional moral panics, which rely on mass media to spread a uniform message, platformed panics leverage social media platforms’ unique features, where algorithms both amplify sensationalist ideas and diffuse counter-narratives. These digital panics are marked by decentralized discourse, with users, hashtags, and bots participating in the discussion. The study highlights how social media intensifies both alarm and pushback, creating contested moral boundaries rather than strong boundaries typical of traditional panics.

Discussion questions
  • How does the rise of social media-driven “platformed panics” differ from traditional moral panic dynamics? Who are the participants and gatekeepers in each form of moral panic?
  • How might the decentralized nature of moral panics on social media impact the authority of traditional actors (e.g., politicians, media) in shaping collective fears and symbolic boundaries?
  • How did Twitter’s algorithmic structure contribute to the amplification of anti-immigration messages during the 2019 election? What role do bots and automated accounts play in shaping public discourse?
  • To what extent do social media platforms create space for resistance and counter-narratives against moral panics? How do social media produce new opportunities for contestation?

Cheng, Zicheng, Hugo Marcos-Marne, and Homero Gil De Zúñiga. 2024. “Birds of a Feather Get Angrier Together: Social Media News Use and Social Media Political Homophily as Antecedents of Political Anger.” Political Behavior 46(2):1171–87.

This study examines how online news consumption and network homophily can lead to intensified emotions regarding political issues. While merely using social media for news has no effect on political anger, interacting with those who share similar political views is associated with more intense negative emotions around politics. The more often individuals engage in politically like-minded networks, the greater their levels of political anger. These findings suggest that both the information we consume and the networks in which we consume it play key roles in shaping political polarization.

Discussion questions
  • How does the sociological concept of homophily explain political echo chambers?
  • Why might homophilic networks be particularly effective at fostering political anger, and how does this compare to more diverse networks?
  • What role does the strength of ties play in shaping the intensity of political beliefs and attitudes?
  • How do social media platforms contribute to or inhibit homophily? What are the implications of homophilous digital networks for democratic politics and institutions?

Quizzes

Test your knowledge with the Chapter 9 quizzes!

Quiz

Active Learning – Further Online Resources

Apple: Let the revolution begin (or at least, “think different”):

Apple has a long history of presenting itself as a kind of edgy, countercultural company. Watch these 3 short Apple advertisements. How do they present themselves as a radical company? How has this presentation changed over time? How believable is this message today, given that Apple is the largest technology company in the world?

“Think Different—Crazy Ones” (1997): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPX9v8F547k

“Get a Mac—Better” (2006): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfWyI5ZhL2g

“iPad Pro – Crush!” (2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntjkwIXWtrc

Is there such thing as a sustainable smartphone?

Review these videos on smart phones, including Samsung, Apple, and more sustainable alternatives:

Samsung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fSGiYtWyg&list=PLkUkFNKNAYzXNcPlUlcBFVp_po-Z8lG9W&index=11&t=54s

Apple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=navOzxiOSaE&list=PLkUkFNKNAYzXNcPlUlcBFVp_po-Z8lG9W&index=14

Fairphone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebv3GiKyCaw&list=PLkUkFNKNAYzXNcPlUlcBFVp_po-Z8lG9W&index=25&t=122s

Take notes about key issues in the smartphone commodity chain. Answer these two questions: 1) “how much do consumers really know about how their phones are made?” 2) what would it take to shift consumers towards more sustainable alternatives?

Teens, parents, and phones:

Visit the Pew Research Center website and explore their 2024 survey research on teens’ and parents’ screentime (https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/03/11/how-teens-and-parents-approach-screen-time/).

What key trends do they find in teens’ and parents’ digital technology usage? How do the results challenge conventional ideas about children’s relationship to technology? Do any of these findings surprise you? If you could conduct a follow-up study related to these issues, what would you want to know?

Flashcards

Refresh your knowledge of key terms with this chapter’s flashcards.

Moral panic

Stanley Cohen’s term for instances of widespread anxiety about a particular phenomenon (like new technology) or group (like youth) that is seen to threaten the fabric of society. Often incorporates both genuine concern over social harm and media sensationalization

Sacralization

Viviana Zelizer’s term for the cultural process whereby certain social phenomena are symbolically elevated and become especially revered

Prosumer

A hybrid role in which an individual acts as both a producer and consumer of goods and content, often within the context of online culture (e.g., social media influeners and content creators)

Social networks

A set of individuals or groups linked by social interaction and the exchange of resources; the character of our social networks can limit or expand our spheres of interaction and access to resources

Integral accident

Paul Virillio’s term for the idea that technological innovation brings with it anew set of potential problems (e.g., the invention of cell phones "invented" the possibility for texting while driving)

Imagined community

Benedict Anderson’s concept describing a large social grouping whose contours and characteristics derive from the sense of commonality and connection its members imagine (commonly applied to the nation)

Technological determinism

A viewpoint in which technological development is the major (or sole) factor shaping human society and driving social change

Social change

Widespread alteration of norms, values, practices, and/or institutional arrangements within or across contexts

Hegemony

Antonio Gramsci’s term for ideas that reinforce relationships of domination and exploitation and become embedded in common sense

Social capital

The number and intensity of the social relationships one possesses as well as the resources that members of one’s social network have available and are willing to share

Anomie

Durkheim’s concept describing individual responses to a lack of shared norms and values in modern societies. Durkheim was concerned that the absence of collective social standards in modern life threatens social stability and could lead to a breakdown of social order.

Strong ties

Close and intimate social connections, such as those with family members and close friends, often characterized by frequent interaction, emotional support, and trust

Weak ties

Relatively casual or distant social connections, such as acquaintances or colleagues, which can provide access to new information and opportunities outside of one’s immediate social circle. Weak ties are important for social outcomes like job opportunities and social mobility, as they serve as bridges to diverse social networks and resources.

Homophily

The tendency for people to want to form bonds with those who share similar social characteristics (e.g. class, race, education, religion)

Individualism

A system of belief that stresses the primacy and moral worth of the individual, sometimes at the expense of the collective

Virtual communities

Dynamic groups of like-minded people who transcend the boundaries of physical proximity by interacting and discussing common goals and subjects of interest online

Alienation

A feeling of disconnection or estrangement often associated with work under capitalist conditions. Marx identified four forms of alienation: alientation from the fruits of one’s labour, the labour process, other workers, and human creativity

Social network analysis

A sociological subfield that explores patterns in the formation, composition and strength of social bonds. This type of analysis sometimes involves sociograms, which are models representing networks of social ties

Mechanical solidarity

Durkheim’s concept describing social cohesion in pre-industrial societies. Involves a strong common culture (usually based in religion) and the absence of a clear division of labor differentiating individuals’ roles; this produces a commonality of experience, sentiment, and identity that generates a feeling of solidarity or oneness

Organic solidarity

Durkheim’s concept describing the more complex form of social cohesion that emerges in technologically advanced, complex societies. In these societies with highly specialized divisions of labour, interdependence among individuals and groups forms the basis of social solidarity, rather than sheer commonality of experience and belief

Frankurt School

A group of German scholars who drew upon Marxism to examine the connections between capitalism and popular culture, including Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse

Culture industry

As coined by the Frankfurt School, the market-based system for producing artistic and symoblic works in which mass production methods standardize and homogenize culture, while manipulating consumer tastes to quell resistance and reinforce capitalist domination

False needs

Herbert Marcuse’s concept refering to artificially created desires in capitalist societies that serve to maintain the dominant system of production and consumption, diverting individuals from achieving genuine freedom and self-fulfillment

Framing

Presenting ideas and information in ways that emphasize certain aspects and minimize other aspects so as to promote a particular way of understanding. Influences whether audiences will understand something as a social problem, how a problem should be addressed, and who is responsible for creating the problem